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China Crosby, a freshman guard on the women’s basketball team from New York, N.Y., recently answered questions about the 22nd-ranked squad. Crosby will miss the remainder of the 2009-10 season with a left knee injury.

Question: When you got hurt at Colorado (Jan. 2), did you know how potentially serious the injury was?
Crosby
: I never felt that type of feeling before, especially having to do with one of my knees. I’ve had ankle injuries before. I knew it could be something bad. Afterwards, I knew I couldn’t run and it was a new type of pain that I hadn’t felt before.

Question: When you got the news that you would be out for the remainder of the season, what goes through your mind? You had been having a successful rookie campaign and your role was going to change.
Crosby
: When I heard the words ‘out for the season’ I just broke down in tears. I knew how much the team needed me on the court, but now it’s more off the court. All I could think about was that it was almost ACC time, which is what I’ve been dreaming about. I wanted to play ACC basketball ever since I was younger, and now this happens right before I get the chance. I just felt very depressed, and I just wanted to play. Once I calmed down though, I talked to my teammates, Monica Wright and Paulisha Kellum were there when I first found out, they told me to think positive and have a positive mindset. Paulisha had been through a torn ACL last season, so she has been by my side through this whole process. If you think positive, it makes things much easier.

Question: As you adjust to your new role, how will it be able to help you moving forward?
Crosby
: Before this injury happened, I felt as though I was growing as a leader on the team. I was talking more and communicating more in practice. Now that I’m out, it hurts that I won’t be able to continue that on the floor. But I’m still an outspoken person, and I will still be outspoken on the bench. During that game when I went down, before I knew I tore my ACL, I was hopping up and down, yelling ‘defense’ on the bench. That is never going to change. I’m going to continue being a good verbal leader now that I’m on the bench. And I’ll try to put smiles on my teammates faces when they feel down. I’m also going to learn more. Coach Ryan said that this is a great opportunity to learn the game now. I’m going to really take this opportunity as a freshman, since I have three more years, to learn and see the game as the game. Not just play the game, learn the game. I’m going to become a stronger player and leader coming back next year.

Question: How do see the team progressing as the ACC season continues?
Crosby
: I think our defense has been tremendous. We’ve been getting a lot of steals and applying ball pressure. We can’t take possessions off in ACC play. You have to play every possession as if it’s our last, and that’s what’s going to help us win games.

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